Will Olesiewicz
Four years after his debut album, Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released a 45 minute album titled Endless. Since its release, Endless has grown to be a cult-classic amongst fans who often praise the album for its unpolished tone and experimental qualities. The album defies standard music conventions, such as the song-writing structure of verse–bridge–chorus repetition, and incorporates a stream of conscious writing style, allowing Ocean to showcase his inner thoughts instead of standard lyrical narratives.
The subject matter of Endless is largely derived from Ocean’s early to mid-twenties, a stage that developmental psychologist Erik Erikson called early adulthood. In this stage, Erikson (1968) found an overarching presence of desire for intimacy and fear of isolation. Endless involves much deliberation on the idea of finding a life partner and settling down to start a family. Ocean often holds this idea in contrast to the freedom of sexual promiscuity and indulgence that his newfound wealth has given to him. In more recent years, developmental psychologists have started to call this life-stage emerging adulthood, a period that focuses on the transition from adolescence to adulthood (Arnett, 2000). In this stage, the individual person typically learns to depart from their home life, upbringing, and immediate family learning to become an independent and self-sustaining adult (Arnett, 2000). Previous research has linked this transition period, usually between the ages of 18 to 25, to significant growth in identity formation and one’s world view (Davis, 2007; Lee, 2019). Further, people in this stage often explore careers, finalize identity formation, and form long-term romantic interests (Arnett, 2000). Ocean explores the theme of transitions by discussing his own experience of this age-range, writing about moving from poverty to wealth, the formation and dissolution of romantic relationships, as well as the acceptance of his own sexuality. Thus, this album review explores how Endless grapples with this psychological stage through showcasing Ocean’s changing attitudes towards love interests; specifically the exchange of sexual freedom for longterm relationships, as well as the identity formation found in accordance with the themes of emerging adulthood.
Early Adulthood and Relationships
Erikson’s Early Adulthood stage describes people ages 21- 29 through the crisis of need for intimacy and fear of isolation (Erikson, 1968). As opposed to adolescence, relationships in the early adulthood stage often focus on interdependence and commitment, and last longer on average (Chen, 2006; Collins & Laursen, 2012). People in early adulthood also put more personal investment into complex relationships, involving higher commitment to a significant other, as well as longer-term connection to a partner (Erikson, 1968; Yablonska 2013).
Frank Ocean, in his four album discography, incorporates writing about positive and negative romantic relationships. A large part of Endless is devoted to the idea of settling down with a partner and forgoing the open relationships he enjoyed for early-on in his life. The listener can find this distinction by comparing an early song on the album Comme des Garcons with later tracks. In Comme des Garcons, French for “as the boys [do],” Ocean talks about starting a romantic relationship with someone, while both were cheating on their respective partners. Ocean writes,
“Kept it faded on the side
We were seeing someone
We was dating on the side
He was seeing double” (Ocean, 2016, track 6).
The sexual promiscuity found in this song is more reminiscent of romantic relationships in late adolescents than in early adulthood through its focus on sexuality over romanticism. Research has shown that many in the early adulthood stage often exchange sexual freedom of adolescence with multiple partners towards a more monogamous long term-relationship (Boislard, van de Bongardt, & Blais, 2016; Collins & Laursen, 2012; Yablonska, 2013).
Later in the album on the track Wither, Ocean sings about his desire to start a family with a long-term partner. Ocean states,
“And tonight I’ll hold you close, close enough to bruise
Hope a garden grows where we dance this afternoon
Hope our children walk by spring when flowers bloom
Hope they’ll get to see my color
Know that I’ve enjoyed sunshine
Pray they’ll get to see me, me wither” (Ocean, 2016, track 9).
Here, Ocean describes what many in early adulthood are searching for – the ability to find a person with whom they can raise children and make a life beyond their own. Research has shown that people in the early adulthood stage often hold their relationships to high standards, going so far as to judge them based on their ability to form into a lifelong marriage (Mitchell, 2002). People in this stage have been shown to desire partners that care as much about the relationship as they do (Collins & Laursen, 2012; Mitchell, 2002).
Ocean integrates this idea in his song Slide On Me, which is emblematic of the modern obsession for the perfect relationship. In this track, Ocean sings
“I’m still working while you dream pop …
This is for when you change your mind and slide back this way
This is for that night when setbacks won’t let that much fade
Guess you can’t blame the ones you choose” (Ocean, 2016, track 12).
Slide On Me shows Ocean describing a relationship that is not equal in terms of effort given. Ocean finds too much conflict in his relationship as he is with a partner who does not put as much effort into the relationship as he does. The conflict found here is reminiscent of the early adulthood theme of mutual investment in a relationship, where partners expect each other to foot an equal amount of the burden (Collins & Laursen, 2012). Likewise, Sulman (2017) describes how people in this stage focus on keeping the other in the relationship appeased, and hoping that they hold the same intentions. In these songs, Ocean describes the early adulthood concept of deliberating through all of the criteria to find the right person to start a life with.
Emerging Adulthood
Since Erikson’s theory was first published, the recent rise of college attendance has led psychologists to examine new stages of the developmental trajectory (Archibald, Feldman, & McHenry, 2015). With young adults having more time to devote to identity and career formation than previously before, psychologists have attempted to understand the mentality of people of this age range – thus resulting in the creation of the psychological stage emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2000). Emerging adulthood can also be understood as a stage of “delayed responsibility,” as college attendance gives young adults more time than their previous generational counterparts to decide on a career and start a family (Arnett & Jensen, 2015; Davis, 2007). This notion of delayed responsibility gives people in this stage a few years to define one’s self in terms of career choices, friendships, and interests. The identity formation of emerging adulthood largely focuses on the development of one’s career and “purpose” in society (Arnett & Jensen, 2015; Zorotovich & Johnson, 2019). Ocean first incorporates emerging adulthood in his song U-NI-T-Y, a rap-song about his early financial and career success in the music industry, stating
“My head fatiguing off the opus
Kept it underground to focus I feel afterlife, six under oath, don’t want no hocus pocus,”
and
“You still are no match, you get no rematch
Boy, you missed your moment
Perusing the MoMA, I’m all on my lonely, burst in tears” (Ocean, 2016, track 3).
Here, Ocean focuses on figuring out his career trajectory before he dies: by searching for self-purpose and meaning in his music. Ocean hopes to avoid a passive and monotonous life-style, what he describes as idly viewing an art gallery, in pursuit of something greater. Ocean portrays himself as feeling that he will have missed his moment if he stands still, slowly watching life go by. Young adults in emerging adulthood often echo Ocean’s sentiment here as they can often be found switching jobs or careers in search for more fulfillment (Arnett, 2000; Arnett & Jensen, 2015). Further, adults in this stage will often look for employment that gives the worker a purpose and provides a benefit to society (Arnett & Jensen, 2015; Lee, 2019).
These themes of Emerging Adulthood are also found in the song Sideways, a spoken-word poetry piece about Ocean’s obsession over his career. Ocean states,
“I was in all them hours in it
10K, tokin’ mid strokes … All this hotel living,
Might as well pay the mortgage what I’m spending …
When I’m down they gon’ celebrate
Sittin’ sideways, too sideways
Nah, it’s not too late” (Ocean, 2016, track 13).
Ocean describes the obsession he has for working on his musical grandeur, so much so that he is willing to spend 10,000 hours— the approximate amount of time needed to become an expert at something, as coined by author Malcolm Gladwell (2008)— working on something he believes can socially and financially benefit him. Ocean elaborates on this idea as he describes his need to settle down and take on more financially mature decisions, such as obtaining a mortgage (Ocean, 2016, track 13). These concepts are indicative of the young adult’s pressure to participate in the job market and establish a career trajectory. Although the experience of college often gives young adults the ability to explore their passions, it can also create a sense of urgency to find fulfilling work as the financial burden of college starts to emerge (Zorotovich & Johnson, 2019). This need becomes more urgent as emerging adults look for work which stems from something that is rewarding to one’s personal goals and achievements (Arnett & Jensen, 2015). Sideways further showcases the contradicting nature between having the freedom to explore and the feeling of urgency to move forward, that is often found in emerging adulthood.
Class Critique of Emerging Adulthood
Although prevalent in psychological literature, emerging adulthood has also seen criticism from researchers. Specifically, the theory has been scrutinized for its lack of applicability to poor and working-class young adults (Cherney et al., 2019; Cote 2014). The theory fails to provide insight into those who must enter the workforce immediately after high school, due to personal or financial reasons (Cherney et al., 2019). Understanding this psychological stage in terms of class and wealth leads many to wonder if it is fair to group all young adults into the emerging adulthood category (Cote, 2014). Ocean’s Endless provides insight into this dilemma as he uses the album to reflect on his escape from poverty. Perhaps Ocean’s early financial success in the music industry gave him the opportunity to participate in emerging adulthood. Research shows that the ability to go to college and still have free time to explore one’s passions and career interests is largely unavailable to those who must work or support themselves through college (Cherney et al., 2019; Vosylis & Klimstra, 2020). Ocean did not have the financial freedom to explore himself and his passions until he eventually succeeded in the music industry and could now financially support himself.
Ocean explores his impoverished childhood in the song Alabama, which recollects scenes from his youth. Ocean states,
“My barber fresh out the penitentiary
That alcohol was stingin’ me
My four cousins stayed with me, stayed with us
One was in the shower
My aunt in law come over to fuss and fight
So she get out in cutoffs and a wifebeater” (Ocean, 2016, track 2).
Comparing this excerpt with a line on a later track titled ‘Hubbolts,’ where Ocean sings “Suburbia got a yard/ All this estate for my mind to run”, reveals that the shift from poverty to wealth allowed Ocean space for himself to explore his thoughts and passions in greater depth—similar to those in emerging adulthood (Ocean, 2016, track 10). Many in this stage are able to rely on parental or supplemental income to explore different careers and live in different cities. Ocean, however, relies on his own income to support his period of exploration and growth, allowing him to understand the privilege associated with being an emerging adult. Ocean touches upon this idea on the song U-N-I-T-Y, with the lines
“Iberville 1995/ You’d think that was airstrikes on outside
I put refugees in my villa, play kids the Fu-Gee-La
All this space Atlanta, place order McMansions
and two apple pies” (Ocean, 2016, track 3).
In this excerpt, Ocean name-drops the projects where he grew up (i.e., Iberville, New Orleans), while comparing the living situation to that of a war-zone. He develops this metaphor with the wish that he could take in the refugees from the projects (i.e., the people living in his former neighborhood), and let them experience the wealth he has been able to gain since escaping. While the listener can only speculate, it can be surmised that Ocean is able to experience the freedom of emerging adulthood, and the subsequent formation of his life-trajectory, through his newfound wealth through the music industry.
The psychological themes of early and emerging adulthood allow for novel insight into Ocean’s artwork. Their addition showcases Ocean’s deliberations on love, career exploration, and existential questions of his future. Further, the theories of early and emerging adulthood provide the listener with a point of reference to understand the psychological and chronological contexts surrounding the album.
Conclusion
Ocean’s Endless gives the listener an artistic insight into the early to mid twenties, a time period that has been extensively portrayed in music over the recent years. A dissection of this album through the lens of psychological literature allows the audience to fully grasp the development of Ocean’s persona throughout the early and emerging Adulthood stages. The benefit of understanding this psychological stage through the medium of music provides the listener to feel shared human-connection by discussing widespread themes of deliberations and life crises in this stage. However, there are limitations to this review, as Ocean does not give many public interviews and rarely confirms the veracity of his songs—blurring the lines between reality and story-telling. Despite his isolation from media, Ocean furthers these topics on his next album Blonde, which also integrates themes of early and emerging adulthood. Listeners may be able to explore the psychological themes of adolescence found in Blonde by using a similar framework to this review.
At its very essence, Endless reveals itself to be a vignette of Ocean’s early to mid twenties, showcasing his desire to find a partner, establish a career and explore a life worth living. Through his sonic and lyrical mastery, Frank Ocean is able to capture the audience’s attention, transporting them into his own psyche and showing them an unfiltered and genuine part of his life-experience.
References
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Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480.
Arnett, J. J. (2015). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Collins, A. W., & Laursen, B. P. (2012). Relationship pathways: From adolescence to young Adulthood. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Cherney, K., Rothwell, D., Serido, J., & Shim, S. (2019). Subjective financial well-being during emerging adulthood: The role of student debt. Emerging Adulthood, 1(1), 216-227.
Cote, J. E. (2014). The dangerous myth of emerging adulthood: An evidence-based critique of a flawed developmental theory. Applied Developmental Science, 18(4), 177-188.
Davis, S. N. (2006). Gender ideology construction from adolescence to young adulthood. Social Science Research, 36(1), 1021-1041.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York: W. W. Norton Company.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: Why some people succeed and some don’t. New York: Little Brown & Co.
Lee, Y. (2019). Transitions in adulthood and women’s attitudes toward the gender division of labor in South Korea. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(2), 1815-1825.
Mitchell, Stephen A. (2002). Can love last?: The fate of romance over time. New York: W.W. Norton.
Shulman, S. (2017). The emerging adulthood years: Finding one’s way in career and intimate love relationships. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 70(1), 40-62.
Ocean, F. (2016). Endless [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: Def Jam Recordings.
Vosylis, R., & Klimstra, T. (2020). How does financial life shape emerging adulthood? Short-term longitudinal associations between perceived features of emerging adulthood, financial behaviors, and financial well-being. Emerging Adulthood, 1(1), 1-19.
Yablonska, T. (2013). Family factors of a person’s identity development during adolescence and early adulthood. Social Welfare Interdisciplinary Approach, 3(2), 31-40.
Zorotovich, J., & Johnson, E. I. (2019). Five dimensions of emerging adulthood: A comparison between college students, nonstudents, and graduates. College Student Journal, 22(1) 376-384.
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